Bags on seat riddle

[CNash]

The trouble is "I'll move if it gets busy"

becomes

"I'll move if someone asks me"

becomes

"I'll stick my headphones in and bury myself in a book while I defend my space vigorously and generally look unapproachable"

I can't "bury myself in a book" while simultaneously "defending my space vigorously". As for "look unapproachable" - I assume some practice is necessary here? I haven't the faintest idea how I'd purposefully "look unapproachable"; I'm not a particularly intimidating presence to begin with!

I take the "move bag when no double seats remain" attitude. I'll happily (with a smile!) move my bag if someone wants to sit next to me.

 

[Clip]

Why does it matter if the carriage is practically empty anyway?

.

Because know one knows whats on the bottom of peoples bags which in turn could make the seat dirty/sticky which in turn ruins their clothing when they sit down on the seat later.

Same as feet IMO.
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Isn't it.

So many nit-picking jobsworths on here.

Not really, we're just sick to death of having to clean and replace seats due to people making them dirty.

Christ bet you moan like a good un if your seat made your clothing dirty

 

[plastictaffy]

If the train is full and standing, I will normally announce something like "Seats are made for bottoms, not bags or feet. As this is a particularly busy service, please don't be afraid to put any bags that will fit into the overhead rack, or under the seat. It's possible that you may have a stranger sitting next to you, but most people on the train look fairly normal, and therefore won't dribble on you or bite you. Any biting or dribbling may result in you being removed at the next station."
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As for "look unapproachable" - I assume some practice is necessary here? I haven't the faintest idea how I'd purposefully "look unapproachable"; I'm not a particularly intimidating presence to begin with!.

Easy, just dress yourself in your local TOC's drivers' uniform. Works for a lot of ours!

 

[mad_rich]

I haven't the faintest idea how I'd purposefully "look unapproachable"

Pretty easy, judging by some of the oiks I see on the train!

Find a table of 4. Sit in the aisle seat, with your feet on the opposite aisle seat. Bagson the window seat next to your feet, second bag or journey snacks on the window seat next to you. Laptop, phone, newspaper, chargers, empty beer cans, Maccy D's liberally strewn across the table. Stick your headphones in and crank up the volume. Read or pretend to read your book/ paper/ laptop while looking menacing. Job done. Bonus points if you can get any of your cables to provide a physical barrier to intruders and/ or time a fart to perfection when someone walks by.

 

[RPM]

Because know one knows whats on the bottom of peoples bags which in turn could make the seat dirty/sticky which in turn ruins their clothing when they sit down on the seat later.

Same as feet IMO.
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Not really, we're just sick to death of having to clean and replace seats due to people making them dirty.

Christ bet you moan like a good un if your seat made your clothing dirty

We're talking about handbags, computer bags and small rucksacks here. They're likely to be as least as clean as the seat of people's trousers/skirts for goodness sake, possibly cleaner. :roll:

 

[marks87]

No forgetting the tactic of gently patting the seat next to you and smiling at its potential occupier.

Note: this could backfire.

 

[GodAtum]

Ive been on trains where I have had a table of 4 to myself. Was able to spread out and no one complained.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

So if a Revenue Inspector came through and charged you the full standard single fare for your bag, would you object then.......

Personally, I'd ask them to read the NRCoC and then charge the correct fare.:roll:

....I didn't realize the fare was specifically for use of a single seat - I was always under the impression the fare was for a single person to travel. Does that mean if I have to stand (or choose to stand), I can claim back the full price of my fare?

A travel ticket is for travel of a person (or persons), luggage is a separate issue.

 

[Clip]

We're talking about handbags, computer bags and small rucksacks here. They're likely to be as least as clean as the seat of people's trousers/skirts for goodness sake, possibly cleaner. :roll:

Yes, the very things apart from handbags that people will pop on the floor beneath their legs whilst standing waiting for their train/bus/taxi/life to come along.

Amazingly, and you will never believe this, waste and dirt does transfer very easily from bag to seat given the fabric of seats and bags.

Roll your eyes some more, I really couldnt give a ****. The fact is it happens so dont put your bags on the seats.

Why are the simplest of things so difficult for some?

 

[DarloRich]

Isn't it.

So many nit-picking jobsworths on here.

Or people with proper manners perhaps. It is quite straight forward. Put your bag in the rack regardless of the number of people on the train.

Yet again we see many people displaying the selfish “am all right Jack” approach so wrong with modern society.

 

[Tibbs]

No forgetting the tactic of gently patting the seat next to you and smiling at its potential occupier.

Note: this could backfire.

Wasn't it Peter Cook who said the best way to have a seat to yourself is to smile winningly at people as they walk past!?

 

[Domh245]

Even on quite trains, I will keep my bag on my lap, on the floor by my feet, or under the seat, but that is because I don't need to go into my bag very often. I can understand why someone who is working might have their bag on the seat, but having a bag on a seat if you don't need to go into it seems a bit odd to me. Granted some people can't place their bags on their rack, but it isn't really necessary to put it on the seat, your feet serve just as well for propping your bag on!

 

[t_star2001uk]

Personally, I'd ask them to read the NRCoC and then charge the correct fare.:roll:

It was only meant as a purely theoretical question and not to be taken seriously. Bags on seats especially in the peak is one of my pet peeves. Out of all of the announcements that i have tried the most effective one to get people to move bags, especially when passengers are standing, is to say that "your ticket only covers you and your bag is not entitled to the seat next to you. If your bag wishes to use a seat then please ensure that your bag has paid the correct fare". Yes I know it is not enforceable, and yes i know there is nothing written in the NRCoC. But it makes a few people smile and yes people do move their bags.

 

[Temple Meads]

I can see where people are coming from with comments such as "Bags belong in the rack", however I'm terminally forgetful, so I avoid putting my bag in the rack just in case I forget it upon leaving the train (and I've been there and done it, so I've learnt from experience!), however I usually put the bag between my feet.

 

[9K43]

When I travel by rail, I make a point of sitting on seat which had a bag on it and a PC on the table.
These passengers think it a divine right to see people stood up in the train while they pretend to be asleep.

 

[GodAtum]

When I travel by rail, I make a point of sitting on seat which had a bag on it and a PC on the table.
These passengers think it a divine right to see people stood up in the train while they pretend to be asleep.

I would never dream of putting my bag on a seat if it started to get busy. When stopping at stations I always look out to see if the train is getting busy.

However there are some services I go on where I can be the only one in the carriage.

 

[RPM]

I give up. I just cant compete against the levels of ODC being exhibited here. Public transport seats are not a sterile environment and never will be. Bags are not the major contributor to this, in fact their impact is negligible.

What is next? Should we employ a team if travelling Bottom Inspectors to carry out bacteriological tests on passengers, posteriors? Or require that all passengers and their luggage are disinfected before boarding? Or just get over it and accept that train interiors are packed with unseen dirt, dust and microbes, note of which are likely to do us any harm at all?

 

[ECML180]

When I travel by rail, I make a point of sitting on seat which had a bag on it and a PC on the table.
These passengers think it a divine right to see people stood up in the train while they pretend to be asleep.

Maybe we were brought up differently but I would never question where a Police Constable sits, even if it's on a table.

 

[DiscoStu]

Because know one knows whats on the bottom of peoples bags which in turn could make the seat dirty/sticky which in turn ruins their clothing when they sit down on the seat later.

Same as feet IMO.
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Not really, we're just sick to death of having to clean and replace seats due to people making them dirty.

Christ bet you moan like a good un if your seat made your clothing dirty

Never happened, and I've been on thousands of trains in my life.

I mean, how dirty do BAGS get on the bottom? Shoes are a different matter, but most bags that are the size that people are likely to put on their seat are carried without really touching a filthy surface.

 

[Bantamzen]

What a storm in a teacup. What possible objection could there be to people placing a small bag on an empty seat and then pre-emptively moving it before the seat is required? I can't believe some of the attitudes on here, especially from staff. This is the sort of thing that gives the railway a bad name. Get over yourselves!

Indeed, there are far more important things in life than getting annoyed when someone puts a bag on a seat next to them on a reasonably empty train. I do this every morning & evening as my service rarely gets full, and when it does start to fill the bag goes onto my lap or onto the rack. Nothing to see here folks, move along....

On a lighter note, many years ago I had the perfect solution for getting a bit of space on the busy Wakefield line. My local pizza takeaway did the most amazing garlic mushrooms, which consisted of about 40 or so button mushrooms swimming in a sea of garlic butter. Heavenly, but with a rather powerful side effect the next morning. So when a class 308 arrived on the newly electrified Doncaster - Leeds morning service, even though hundreds tried to ram on at Wakefield I always got a seat & leg room.....

 

[DiscoStu]

Or people with proper manners perhaps. It is quite straight forward. Put your bag in the rack regardless of the number of people on the train.

Yet again we see many people displaying the selfish “am all right Jack” approach so wrong with modern society.

I'm sorry, but having your bag on the seat when there are plenty available doesn't constitute bad manners. Keeping it there when there are people standing does.

I really don't see the issue here.
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I give up. I just cant compete against the levels of ODC being exhibited here. Public transport seats are not a sterile environment and never will be. Bags are not the major contributor to this, in fact their impact is negligible.

What is next? Should we employ a team if travelling Bottom Inspectors to carry out bacteriological tests on passengers, posteriors? Or require that all passengers and their luggage are disinfected before boarding? Or just get over it and accept that train interiors are packed with unseen dirt, dust and microbes, note of which are likely to do us any harm at all?

I'm tempted to start a new thread on the subject of seeing litter on trains, just to see the reaction

 

[hairyhandedfool]

...... Yes I know it is not enforceable, and yes i know there is nothing written in the NRCoC...

I think you should take another look at the NRCoC......

 

[westv]

If I want a seat that has a bag on it I ask the owner to move it. Simples.

 

[IKBrunel]

I'm probably guilty as anyone when it comes to bag on seat for More than half empty trains. Like most sensible people I make sure the seat is clear as train is filling up. But I can see how it would be possible to get immersed in a book/work/etc and not realise train has filled up. So best not put the bag on seat in the first place unless really confident train wont fill up.
I don't hesitate for a moment to ask people if a seat is free (which it obviously is), but I suspect many people are too timid. So I think leaving bags on seats on full/nearly full trains is really f**king bad manners, but like most people I'm too polite to say what I think and put up with awkwardness for rest of journey.

 

[trainophile]

While agreeing that in a nearly full train there should not be any seats occupied by bags, I think it does depend on the type of journey with regard to half-empty trains.

I'm thinking of the little old pensioner couples, who use their local rail service to get their shopping, and how tricky it would be to put carrier bags of groceries either on the overhead rack or on the floor (which on Merseyrail is not noted for much leg room anyway).

I think it's a bit cynical to sweepingly state that a bag should never make contact with a train seat. It should be policed (if necessary) on a common sense basis.

 

[Oswyntail]

..... on a common sense basis.

Won't that conflict with the NRCoC?

 

[bramling]

Travel 1st class then!

That is simply an selfish/ ignorant attitude!

I don't think it is selfish.

At times I feel like I must have magnetic power to attract people to come and irritate me, it's not unreasonable to expect to have an undisturbed and spacious journey when a train is relatively empty (I'm thinking 50% loaded or less).

And, as I'm sure you well know, not all services or trains convey 1st class accommodation!

Also, I don't see it's unreasonable to expect a little personal space and be unhappy when it's taken by late-boarders who can't be bothered to walk down the platform to a part of the train which is empty, though having said that I tend to take advantage of this by attempting to choose the part of the train I hope might be quietest.

It's one thing on busy trains, but on those where there is plenty of space it's just good manners to spread out. You wouldn't turn up in an empty field and pitch a tent inches from someone already established, and it's good manners for the same to apply on trains.
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Bags are annoying, irritating and should go in the spaces provided.

Don't get me started with feet on seats............

How can a bag be annoying or irritating? I can think of plenty of passenger behaviours which can be considered annoying or irritating though - the list is endless. Like most things in life, unfortunately the majority are quite capable of travelling by train without causing annoyance or irritation, but it's the small minority which stand out, sadly.

 

[trainophile]

Other passengers might be the nicest people in the world, but it is claustrophobic having someone's elbow in your ribs, or being squashed against the window by a big bloke in a thick outdoor coat who is occupying not only his own seat but part of yours too. Being British and reserved by nature (most of us ), (not to mention the obesity crisis which adds to the problem), travelling by train would be a far nicer experience if seats were just a couple of inches wider. It's hardly surprising that we'd all rather not share our personal space (in the psychological sense, not what we've bought a ticket for!) if it can be avoided.

And don't get me started on arm-rest wars!
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You wouldn't turn up in an empty field and pitch a tent inches from someone already established, and it's good manners for the same to apply on trains.

Nice analogy.

 

[DiscoStu]

Nice analogy.

Was gonna say the same.

So I will.

Nice analogy.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I don't put my bag on the seat except if I am like on an Ellesmere Port-Warrington service (no passengers) or where the whole carriage is being shared with only another person.

Shoes I don't like, but not bothered about stocking feet, in fact, I've even heard guards say take your shoes off if you want to put your feet on the seat.